Vic Fangio lords over improved 49ers’ defense

— His nickname, Lord Fangio, suggests a defensive guru with the bluster of Buddy Ryan – stalking the sideline, bellowing orders to his players and hogging the headlines with bold strategic maneuvers.

His manner suggests otherwise.

Vic Fangio grew up in a small town (Dunmore) in northeastern Pennsylvania, outside Scranton. To this day, he routinely talks strategy with his high school coach, Jack Henzes, who is still winning games at age 75. Fangio returns to his roots every summer to see his mom, visit Henzes and watch some Dunmore High practices.

Or put another way: Fangio’s ego does not runneth over.

He counts as one of the driving forces behind the 49ers‘ fast start, the architect of a defense allowing the second-fewest points per game (16.2) in the NFL. Even so, Fangio happily retreats into the background, ceding the spotlight to his players.

This starts with his preference to sit in the press box during games, in part to avoid the emotion of working on the field. He’s not prone to exuberant, chest-bumping celebrations, either; he tries to be real and realistic, as he put it, and his players appreciate the authenticity.

“I’m not a hip-hop coach like a lot of these young coaches are trying to be,” Fangio said.

Stanford linebacker Shayne Skov dubbed him “Lord Fangio” last season, during his one year at the school. It was a reference to his “maniacal voice” and “evil genius” in engineering the Cardinal’s abrupt turnaround on defense.

49ers players see the evil genius in the way Fangio seizes matchup advantages. If he spots an offensive lineman who doesn’t move his feet especially well, Fangio finds ways to send athletic pass-rusher Aldon Smith against that lineman.

Fangio, 53, comes across as serious and straightforward, consumed with X’s and O’s to the point where he leaves himself voice-mails at the office when an idea strikes at an odd hour. He brings abundant NFL experience – 24 years in the league, including 11 as a defensive coordinator – and a reputation for creative blitz packages.

Just as notably, Fangio’s modest demeanor allows him to adapt. He called many blitzes against Philadelphia, and it helped the 49ers win. That type of game plan can make a defensive coordinator look brilliant. Fangio also sensed it was smart to blitz less often against Detroit, and that approach also helped the 49ers win – a defensive performance he declared the best he’s ever been a part of.

It’s only six games into the season, but Fangio clearly has earned the trust of his players.

Defensive tackle Ray McDonald: “He knows how to get the matchups he needs. He’s a genius out there. … Good defensive coordinators don’t try to micro-manage everyone. He trusts us.”

Linebacker Ahmad Brooks: “He’s the guru of our defense. We feed off him and he feeds off us.”

Defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois: “Vic’s a straight shooter. He really puts the game in our hands. When a coach gives you power like that, then we can roll.”

If the players embrace Fangio’s strategic wizardry, they’re still waiting for the maniacal voice. Brooks acknowledged Fangio will let guys know if they’re not doing their job – in clear, concise terms – but there’s little evidence he’s a yeller in the old-fashioned sense.

There’s a reason Fangio operates this way. He learned the game under Henzes, one of the winningest coaches in Pennsylvania high school history. Henzes is demanding but not gruff, to hear Fangio describe him – a proponent of tough, physical defense, starting with stopping the run.

That’s what the 49ers have done this year – stop the run (second in the league, at 74.7 yards per game), tackle well and stiffen in the red zone (opponents have scored only nine touchdowns).

This stems, in some ways, from Fangio’s penchant for observation during the week. He doesn’t need to hear the sound of his voice to validate his importance, despite the moniker.

“When I’m on the practice field, I like to see what the players know and don’t know,” Fangio said. “I don’t like coaching them every second of the day, because I’m not going to be out there with them on game day, and neither are the other coaches.

“If you’re telling them what to do each and every moment, then you’re really not finding out anything.”

Fangio played safety at Dunmore High, which lost only a handful of games during his three years on the varsity. Henzes remembered Fangio – whom he still affectionately calls, “Victor” – countering modest physical skills with sharp instincts.

“He wasn’t the biggest kid, but he was very knowledgeable and instinctive,” Henzes said. “He would let you think you could beat him deep – then before you knew it, he’d jump the ball and make the interception.”

Fangio started his coaching career at Dunmore after graduating from East Stroudsburg State. But he had loftier ambitions, so Henzes encouraged him to leave the prep ranks.

He soon landed in the USFL, working with Jim Mora. That proved to be a fruitful association, because Mora took Fangio with him to New Orleans when Mora became head coach of the Saints in 1986.

That’s where Fangio, as linebackers coach, began to build his reputation. He had several prominent players, including perpetual Pro Bowlers Rickey Jackson and Pat Swilling, and he pried maximum production from them. This was not always a simple chore.

“They weren’t the easiest guys to handle,” Mora said this week. “They were good guys and great players, but they had egos. A lot of coaches couldn’t have handled Rickey and Pat and get the most out of them like Vic did.

“He did because they had great respect for Vic and how he coached them – demanding but not to the point where it bothered them. They knew even though they were great players, he could help them be even better.”

Mora’s faith in Fangio reached this point: He lost his job because he refused to fire Fangio in January 2002, when Colts general manager Bill Polian thought Fangio’s defensive schemes were too complicated.

Nearly 10 years later, Mora insisted Fangio’s system wasn’t the problem. Mora also expects 49ers players to develop deep respect for Fangio (as they have), because they will see his game plans work.

Fangio worked for expansion teams in two of his previous stints as a defensive coordinator, with Carolina and Houston, and he didn’t have a world of talent in Indianapolis. So he’s enjoying the chance to coach Patrick Willis and Co., even if it means scaling back those exotic blitzes.

He doesn’t mind at all.

“When you’re not playing well, and you’re not good personnel-wise, sometimes you think the only way to beat somebody is to trick them,” Fangio said. “So you go to the more exotic stuff to give yourself more of a fighting chance.

“We haven’t had to do that here – we’ve been able to pressure when we wanted and when it fits. I’m always going to do what gives us the best chance of winning. If that means pressuring 60 percent of the time or 5 percent, that’s what we’re going to do. I’m comfortable either way.”